Mash it up?

There are many talented artists out there who have found work revamping or doing “mash-ups” of others IP.

Now this is a completely legitimate process and I am happy to see so many successful.  But out of the multitude of My Little Pony, Dr. Who, Transformer, Firefly T-shirts, tote bags and prints, I wonder how many original works are lost by these same artists, and how much work is ignored by the companies that cater to these revamps?

Consumers clamor all the time, “We want something new, we want something new!” and when the something new is delivered they say “Oh, but it is not like this, that, or the other thing.”

 Now this is not a complaint mind you, but rather an observation. I am wondering what it takes to gain a greater audience with my own work and if I should start putting my spin on tried and true characters. After all, my most popular comic is one in which I reference Dr. Who and that very comic is based on AD&D itself.

I just cannot keep thinking that if I divert my efforts, what wonders will I miss creating.